A FURIOUS backlash erupted yesterday after former Tory MP Douglas Hogg, who had his moat cleaned at taxpayers’ expense, was made a lord alongside dozens of political cronies.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband all faced accusations of filling a “bloated” House of Lords as they handed out peerages to their pals.

Downing Street announced 26 names proposed by the Prime Minister, with 11 for the Liberal Democrats and eight for Labour – a total of 45.

They included former Foreign Secretary William Hague and Mr Cameron’s deputy chief of staff Kate Fall, as well as ex-Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell and Labour’s former Chancellor Alistair Darling.

The appointments take the active membership of the Upper House to more than 800.

Mr Hogg, who claimed £2,200 on expenses to clean the moat at his country estate in Lincolnshire, was also given a lifetime seat in the Upper House.

Labour’s eight new peers included former MPs David Blunkett and Tessa Jowell, a candidate for London mayor.

The new names add to some 786 people already in the Lords, making it second only in size to the Chinese National People’s Congress in the list of world assemblies.

Downing Street also ann ounced knighthoods for Lib Dem former Cabinet ministers Vince Cable and Danny Alexander, who are said to have turned down peerages after being thrown out by voters in May.

Today’s further expansion of the Lords – part of the constant arms race to pack the chamber with loyalists, whichever party is in power – shows the system is well and truly bust

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society

Former ministers who served under Mr Cameron featured heavily on the Conservative list, with ex-Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, Sir George Young, David Willetts and Greg Barker joining Mr Hague in the Lords.

There were also a slew of peerages for past and present Tory and Lib Dem aides and advisers, Conservative donor James Lupton and lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone, founder of the Ultimo brand.

Critics warned that Mr Cameron was not doing enough to cut the cost of politics.

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Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “David Cameron promised to cut the cost of politics but with this additional phalanx of peers appointed to an already overcrowded House of Lords taxpayers are entitled to question his commitment to that goal.

“Peers do an important job scrutinising legislation and holding the Government to account but we are approaching the point when the House will struggle to do so effectively through its sheer size.

“If the House of Lords is to remain a valuable revising chamber, those barely active peers who are no longer fully contributing to the work of the Upper House really should take up the option of retirement.”

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Tycoon Michelle Mone, founder of Ultimo lingerie brand

Number 10 pointed out that the cost of the upper chamber has fallen from £112million in 2010 to £94million last year and said the Prime Minister was looking at ways to cut costs further.

But Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said the new peers would cost the taxpayer at least an extra £1.2million a year.

“Today’s further expansion of the Lords – part of the constant arms race to pack the chamber with loyalists, whichever party is in power – shows the system is well and truly bust,” she said.

“The rapid growth in size and cost of our upper chamber is a national scandal and the sooner we sort out this mess the better.”

A record number of individ uals nominated for peerages were blocked after failing checks to determine their suitability.

Tory donors along with former Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs were among seven candidates ruled ineligible to take up seats.

The wealthy individuals failed to pass strict vetting by Whitehall officials into their financial propriety and other criteria such as their general conduct.

One of those denied a peerage was former Lib Dem MP David Laws, who lasted just 17 days as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the Coalition before quitting over an expenses scandal involving his secret boyfriend.

In the past 15 years, only 10 individuals have been blocked from taking a place in the Lords.